...

Miku Expo 2026 and more

5/2/2026

Well... it's certainly been a long time since I've updated this site... whoops. Truth be told, I've just been distracted, and pretty busy. But! Quite a bit has been going on since last time I updated! I probably won't get to it all, but I'll put in the highlights:

Firstly, I'll be turning 27 this month!! I managed to snag one (1) ticket to Miku Expo 2026 Cedar Park back in December, and I went last night!!! It was my first ever Miku Expo, I've been wanting to go to a Miku concert since I learned they were a thing when I was like 12, and I finally got to achieve that dream! Not gonna lie, I did cry a little...

It was super fun! I met a few cool people and had a decent view of the stage... though it would've been a bit better if the guy next to me didn't keep blocking my view with his phone and plushie. But that's concerts for you!

I did just almost straight up burst into tears both when Miku first came on-stage, and especially during CONNECT:COMMUNE. Some tears were shed, but I was spared the embarrassment of bawling my eyes out at a concert. Barely.

I'm surprised I didn't lose my voice from all the screaming I did! Or catch a cold from standing out in the rain for 2 hours before doors opened. Because, despite being extremely hot just the week prior, it just had to be raining and cold as hell on the day of Miku Expo. I got there at 5, under the impression that doors would be opening at 6, but I was only half-right: They opened at 6 for VIPs, but at 7 for standard admission, which was me. But it's alright! I managed to survive, even though I was violently shivering for at least 30 minutes after I finally got inside. I did at least think to bring a light jacket and umbrella, so those are what probably spared me the wrath of a cold. Even if I did catch a cold, it still would've been worth it.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get any merch: I'd been confused about online sales before, and after standing outside in the cold for 2 hours I was in agony, so I got a snack and found my seat to try to eat and warm up for a minute. By the time I went to check out the merch line, it wasy wayyyyyy too long. I'm talking, wrapping around the venue like 3 times over. There was no way I'd be able to get to the merch table before the show started, if there was even anything left when I did.

But that doesn't mean I left completely empty-handed! In the line outside, there were a lot of really cool folks handing out little goodies like stickers and kandi bracelets, etc. I ended up making a little cardboard display for most of them to put on my wall when I got home:

I don't remember who gave me every single piece, especially the stickers, since quite a few people were handing those out, but here's who I do remember: Someone with a KAITO ita bag and dark blue hair gave me a little bag containing that Rin bracelet and art cards, and a couple folks in really cool cosplays of Gumi and Pomni were presenting people with a jar full of kandi bracelets to pick out of. The Ruko one was the first that caught my eye, so that's the one I took! Someone else was selling little "concert surrival kits" in the line, and that photo print of Miku was included in it, as well as another sticker that I put on my laptop. An artist in the merch line was handing out that photo print in the center, it's double-sided but I decided to display that side! They gave me their card, too, with a QR code and their handle: HIMARI. I'm not exactly sure where they are, most likely Instagram, if anyone wants to check them out!

And finally, the keychain: I forget exactly what the person handing them out looked like, but they had a box full of 3D-printed Miku keychains in varying styles, and I thought that one was cute, so that's the one I picked! Since I didn't manage to get my hands on a lightstick, I cheered with that keychain instead, lol.

If anyone mentioned (and those whose details I unfortunately forgot, I have a shit memory) happens to be reading this, thank you again!! Y'all made the wait in the rain so much more bearable, and I hope y'all had a great show!!!

I also unfortuantely didn't get any pictures or videos of the event: I was too busy trying not to freeze to death before the show, and then I was too busy having the time of my life during the show. But that's alright, since I have this little memorial instead, which I'll definitely look at much more often than some photos or videos that'll probably just rot in my camera roll for eternity. I'm sure at least 50 people were filming the show anyway, it's bound to be posted to YouTube eventually.

God, was it physically painful, though. Thank fuck it was all seating, I think I'd have died if I had to stand through the whole thing. Still hurt to try to contort my body to see around the guy who seemed to forget there were people trying to watch the show, but it could've been a lot worse. And thankfully I have all weekend to recover! Definitely would do it all again, though. I'm listening to the setlist on repeat as I type this, lol. It was so fun, but ended so quickly... Still worth all the money and trouble, though. I did end up taking an Uber both there and home, which... wasn't cheap, for sure, but my car is old and rickety and I didn't want to risk driving an hour in the rain, through Austin, on the interstate, in horrific traffic. And then all over again, but this time in the dark. Even if I ended up getting there and home alright, the stress alone would've no doubt ruined my night. So all this is just my birthday present to myself, lol. Ringing in my late 20s with the biggest bang possible.

Whew... 12 whole paragraphs, and that was just about Miku Expo! But that's really the biggest thing that's happened since I last updated thsi site, so I guess here's a highlight reel of the rest:

I finally finished Gideon the Ninth! Ages ago, actually, and I'm getting close to finishing Harrow the Ninth. And damn, what the hell. The sudden whiplash between the end of GtN and beginning HtN with the words "The night before the Emporer's murder," and then finding that Gieon herself was somehow just completely expunged from Harrow's memory was... something, for sure. I'm just now about to start chapter 43 when I next sit down to read, so whle that's been somewhat explained by now, I'm sure it'll all finally start making sense soon.

And... oh! I got Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, too! It's super fun, I've lost way too many hours to just watching my little Mii soap opera unfold. My island's already level 100, somehow. Some highlights: Siffrin and Isabeau were the first couple to get married and have a child... and then I kicked their randomly generated baby off the island. Really funny how you can still do that in LtD despite there being no Street Pass-adjacent function, so the kid just disappears forever. I might turn babies off, but seeing it at least once was cool. Frisk and Chara also got married, and so did Miku and Teto, but they divorced after only 8 days of marriage. It was... for the best. They were barely keeping it together. Sasuke initially had a crush on Chara, then realized he was into Naruto instead. Naruto rejected Sasuke's initial confession, but quickly changed his tune once Sasuke gave him a copy of Splatoon 2 as a declaration of his love. My Octoling OC, Vis, had a crush on Acht, who rejected her twice, because they have a crush on Princess Zelda, who is oblivious. My fantroll, Riesen, has a crush on the only other alien on the island: a blue alien girl poorly disguised as a human, named "Normal." Normal, however, has a crush on... Commander Tartar. And so does Agent 8. This is what I get for making Tartar nonbinary. All the lesbians are falling head over heels for that terrifying hunk of metal.

There's... probably more I can't remember, but this entry is long enough already, so I'll leave it here. Nice catching up with y'all, have a great day!